Dust of Lion, Heart of Diamonds
by Alonia Everclear
Summary: Orignally for a contest. Beware: Strange Coupling ahead Death always brings change. Squall as a Guardian force? Secrets revealed, a new love blossoms. A Squalliva?
1. Breathe

A/N: This is for the Clash of the Couples Contest.   
  
  
  
Clash of the Couples by Pink Starz and Jello Ink   
  
_ The rules are:   
  
1. No lemons, please! R is ok, NC-17 is a no go. Sorry guys, family entertainment only.   
  
2. There must be a plot! Basically, explain the characters' actions. 'Because' doesn't count! ^_~ PWP will not even be looked at!   
  
3. A limit of four chapters. If you write really short chapters normally, put several in one upload.   
  
4. The following couples don't count, we want something over and above the norm.   
  
i) Seifer x Quistis, Rinoa, or Selphie   
  
ii) Squall x Quistis, Rinoa or Selphie   
  
iii) Seifer x Squall, Zell or Irvine   
  
iv) Zell x Quistis, Rinoa or Selphie   
  
v) Irvine x Quistis, Rinoa or Selphie   
  
5. No incest please, Squall and Laguna are NOT an option.   
  
Criteria for judging:   
  
1. Creativity in plot structure   
  
2. Grammar/ Spelling (mechanics) This is not as major as the other sections, but still counts to a degree.   
  
3. Proper and selective inclusion of humorous and romantic elements as a basis for the plotline.   
  
4. Weirdness factor of the couple in question! Rated 1-10!   
  
Are you up to the challenge, FFVIII writers? _   
  
Well I decided I was up for the challange. The only problem I see I might have trouble doing is the four chapter limit. So be prepared for LONG chapys.   
  


* * *

  
  


**Dust of Lion, Heart of Diamonds**   
  
  
  
**·º°º·.·º°º·Chapter 1·º°º·.·º°º·**

  
  
  
  
His hands always sweat whenever he visited this place. He could never understand why. Maybe it was because they had always sweat around her when she was alive.   
  
Squall leaned over and set the bundle of white roses carefully on top of the tomb stone. The head stone was sold white marble with two angelic wings reaching for the sky. Her name graced the marble in swirl letters adorned with tiny flowers. Rinoa Heartily. The tombstone had sat upon the hill for exactly a year, and it was still untouched by the weather.   
  
It had been another year that the brown hair sorceress had suffered before she had truly joined the angels. It was just that, that had killed her. Those pure wings of angelic white, and her sorceress powers. After Ultimicia, after Time Compression Rinoa started to slip into faints, and would forget things easily. It turned out that the power inside her was eating away her brain driving her to madness.   
  
Perhaps that was why all sorceress were evil. Because their power nestled into their brain destroying all rationality. Rinoa had died alone, while Squall had been away on some diplomatic SeeD mission. He could never forgive himself for that.   
  
Life without her had become dull. Things around him seemed muted, voices and colors. It made him realize that they were all dead. Dead people walking.   
  
He had began to think love was all a fairy tale. Soul mates, just a simple lie. Love was a fleeting reaction in the brain. Commitment, just another four letter word. Perhaps if love had been more like stories and like that old movie Laguna had been in he would have sought it out again. If love could have been immortal and not just confuse, and cause pain.   
  
Squall sighed standing up. Her grave sight overlooked Obel Lake, its waters glistening in the morning sun. The leaves in the trees surrounding him gave a tinkling song as the wind blew.   
  
"I would have loved her better then you ever could have" a voice came from behind him. Instantly Squall's muscles tensed at the sound of the rich voice filled with arrogance. The brown haired man turned around slowly too look upon the scarred face of his lifetime rival.   
  
"Almasy" Squall said giving him the satisfaction of acknowledgement.   
  
"One last duel, Squall. To see which one of us really is the best" Seifer said with his famous smirk.   
  
"Forget it" Squall said walking past Seifer heading down the hill.   
  
Squall fell suddenly as Seifer rammed into his shoulder blade. Squall hopped up growling and instantly drawing his glowing Lionheart. Seifer chuckled titling his head back a bit as he drew the slim Hyperion from his side.   
  
Squall was the one that moved first blue clashing with black sending sparks scattering through the air. Seifer spun around attempting to bring his gunblade into Squall's shoulder but it was blocked easily. The struggle was like an age-old battle, fury and rivalry running very deep.   
  
The killing blow took them both by surprise. One minute Squall had black Seifer easily. The next the Hyperion had slid off the Lionheart into Squall's side. His lifeblood rushed from the wound staining the green grass below him as he fell. Seifer cursed and Squall heard him running away into the trees. His rival hadn't even stayed to gloat. His gray eyes fluttered shut blocking out the sun. Now Rinoa's fate was truly upon Squall.   
  
He would die alone.   
  
One thing that Squall Leonhart never realized though. That he was truly never alone. There had always been one that had watched over him. Been with him before Rinoa, present even the night that they had first danced.   
  
And she was there now. Appearing in a shower of ice, glimmering like diamonds. Instantly the air grew cold, freezing his blood into tiny crystals on the blades of grass. The faint breath coming from Squall slightly opened lips curled up into a mist. The GF Shiva dropped to her knees beside Squall, the dirt and grass instantly sheeting over with ice.   
  
She brushed his hair back from his face with one blue hand. He instantly began to shiver at her closeness. So cold it was almost painful. Shiva decided at that instant there was only one thing she could do. Breaking the cardinal rule of GF society, she did what she had to. She leaned over and placed her tinted blue lips against Squall's soft pink ones.   
  
And She breathed. 


	2. Everything and Nothing

  
  
  


  
**·º°º·.·º°º·Chapter 2·º°º·.·º°º·**

  
  
  
Where in Hyne's name was he?   
  
The bed beneath him was comfortable and soft. Last thing he remembered was a fight with Seifer. A strange sense of deja vu settling over him. But when he opened his eyes he wasn't greeted with the pea soup green walls of the Garden's infirmary. Instead everything around him was white.   
  
White walls towering up to unimaginable heights. They were adorned with opaque white draperies cascading into ripples on the marble white floor. The bed he lay in was huge, and he was covered with a white blanket. The entire room was illuminated but there was not a light in sight. He wore a light white robe flowing easily over his chiseled chest.   
  
His brown hair stuck out like a chocolate milk stain on a pair of white pants. He climbed out of the huge bed, bare feet meeting cold marble floor. He touched his side; he remembered blood flowing there. Now there was nothing, not even a scar.   
  
"Hello?" Squall called out peering around the room. He heard a small squeak in the corner of the room by the looming white door. He moved across the marble floor and around the bed, to reveal a tiny green creature sitting there.   
  
The winking red gem imbedded in its forehead. Green fur covered its lithe body. Tall bunny-like ears tilted slightly towards him.   
  
"Carbuncle?" Squall whispered. The GF nodded slightly a sage like look in its eyes. Squall moved closer in awe of the small beast. He reached out with one shaky hand and touched the glistening red gem. It was warm and seemed to move under his fingers.   
  
"Where the hell am I?" Squall wondered out loud snapping his hand back. The GF seemed to smile at him as it turned around pushing the door open with its front legs. Carbuncle glanced over his shoulder at Squall the GF's eyes beckoning him to follow.   
  
Squall followed it into a long corridor, glancing behind him. To his amazement the door they had entered the corridor from had disappeared. The GF ran, reminding Squall of Rinoa's dog Angelo. Suddenly the corridor ended in two huge double doors. White with roses carved into the wood that seemed to grow and move. Squall looked at Carbuncle for a moment before pushing the amazingly light door open and striding into the room beyond.   
  
The room was huge and dome shaped the walls made of vast white arches. The openings leading into white nothingness where clouds floated. The ground was swirling white marble a golden sunburst pattern located in the exact middle. Standing before three huge occupied white thrones, in the center of that sunburst in all her cerulescent radiance, was Shiva. And she was holding his Lionheart.   
  
Ifrit occupied the first thrown his great black horns spiraling up towards the ceiling. Black hooves resting easily on the white floor. His red hands adorned with black talons curled around the arms of the throne.   
  
Gilgamesh graced the second throne his one eye blinking out of the red robes surrounding him. The robes pooled to the ground like spilled blood.   
  
In the last throne was Siren. Her wings folded around her face, eyes filled with crystalline tears. Her silver-green harp sat in her lap, silent.   
  
"I couldn't let him go!" Shiva exclaimed just as the door closed behind him. The four GF's all turned to look at him in unison. Squall cleared his throat taking a step back towards the now non-existent doors.   
  
"No, Squall. Stay" Siren called out to him her tinkling voice floating across the room. Squall hesitantly moved across the room to stand beside Shiva on the golden starburst pattern.   
  
"Where am I?" Squall asked looking around at the four GF's.   
  
"This place has no name. It is everything and nothing. The home of the Guardian Forces" Gilgamesh said looking down at him with his one eye. Squall shook his head slowly waiting for further explanation form the creatures he had been summoning for so long. Shiva looked at him her blue eyes resembling sheets of glassy ice.   
  
"You died, Squall" Shiva said her voice as cold as her eyes. All the air seemed to rush from his lungs, and he wanted to collapse. He truly had died, but why had he ended up in this place.   
  
"Shiva has brought you here to become one of us" Ifrit rumbled his voice coming from deep with in his chest. For some reason he sounded slightly angry with her.   
  
"A guardian force?" Squall whispered in awe looking around at the four of them. All the power he had wielded had come from them. And now, he was to become one of them.   
  
"You can refuse, if you wish" Siren said. Squall shook his head fiercely. He never wanted to stop helping the world. And the only way to continue doing that after his death was to become one of them.   
  
"I will join you," he said reaching out and pulling his Lionheart from Shiva's hands.   
  
"There is a test - " Siren said her wings unfurling from around her head.   
  
"We must finish business first!" Gilgamesh exclaimed cutting off Siren.   
  
"Business?" Squall questioned.   
  
"Shiva broke the main rule of GF society by brining you here without consulting the council first" Ifrit said his voice still carrying that angry rumble.   
  
"I told you. I couldn't let him be gone from us forever. It all happened too quick" she said her voice filled with ice.   
  
"There were ways you could have saved him without giving him the breath of life" Siren said.   
  
"Answer honestly, why did you really do it?" Gilgamesh asked. The three of the scrutinized Shiva waiting for her answer. She hesitated the air growing colder around her.   
  
"I did it, because I love him" Shiva said at last.   
  
  


* * *

  
A/N: Still racing to meet the deadline, wish me luck darlings. I think the contest was suposed tp be more humorus, Sorry I'm just not funny.. I hope thats ok. 


	3. This Moment

****

·º°º·.·º°º·Chapter 3·º°º·.·º°º·

Squall starred at the blue skinned woman unsure of what to say. Unsure of what to feel. He thought he had given up on love, now that Rinoa was gone. But now here was someone who had broke all the rules of her society to save him. To make him a legendary Guardian, the stress of it was almost too much to bear. 

Gilgamesh glared down at Shiva his red eye stirring with thought. Shiva looked back her chin tilted up a bit, filled with pride and beauty. It was the first time Squall had ever thought she was beautiful. 

"You will be permitted to take Squall to prepare for his test, while we decide your punishment" Gilgamesh said at last his voice booming over the dome. Shiva nodded her head, and spun on her heel striding from the room. She left tiny ice crystals spider webbing across the floor in her wake. Squall had no choice but to follow her, through what looked like a sold wall into another white marble room. 

Two couches sat against the far wall swathed in white lace material. Shiva walked over and primly sat down on one crossing her legs. She folded her hands in her lap and stared at her with her unforgiving ice blue eyes.

"What must I do to prepare?" Squall asked.

"Say good-bye to your human self" She said softly her voice tinkling across the room much like the shards of ice she always threw.

"I shall change upon becoming a Guardian Force then?" Squall asked. She only nodded a chiming noise surrounding her as she moved. She made her own music every time she moved, from the ice that was always settled around her.

"Why do you say you love me?" He asked boldly still not sitting down. Squall was tense every muscle tight in his frame. 

"I have loved you ever since the first time we junctioned. I was always there, watching over you. During your whole journey, and your emotions. I knew your thoughts, you feelings. It is hard not to fall in love with a man such as you, Squall Leonhart" she replied her voice full of sorrow. He frowned his brow creasing downward. 

"What about Rinoa?" Squall asked suddenly.

"She was your first love, I never interfered. It pleased me to see you so happy" Shiva whispered. He nodded turning to look away for the blue woman. There was a loud clash from beyond the wall and Shiva stood up tossing her head back. 

She led the way through the wall, into the white domed room once again. Squall gunblade rose from the floor at the center of the sunburst pattern. 

"We have decided your punishment, ice queen" Siren said, as Squall walked over to stand before his gunblade. 

"I am ready," Shiva said squaring her shoulders.

"You are no longer allowed to interact with humans as a GF, for an extended period of time" Gilgamesh said his powerful voice booming over the marble room. Shiva look as if she had been physically wounded, tears coming to her eyes that immediately froze on her cheeks. Squall couldn't help but feel sad for her, wanting to reach out and take her hand.

He shook the thought off instead opting to tuck his hands behind his back. Shiva at last nodded primly, and went to stand behind Squall.

"It is time for your test, Squall" Ifrit said his voice burning with fire, eyes glowing like cinders. 

"I'll do whatever I have to, to continue helping our world" Squall said the words coming from his heart. It amazed him when a smile actually spread across Ifrit's horse like face.

Gilgamesh pulled a thin dagger from his boot and tossed it to him. Squall caught it easily looking at the thin silver blade.

"Your test is simple. You must kill her," Gilgamesh said pointing behind him. He turned around to see Rinoa standing behind him. 

She was everything he remembered. Her porcelain face, her chocolate eyes. Her brown hair with its highlights, flowing blue duster. She smiled at him and pointed at the sky, memories flooding back to him. For that moment all he knew was pain. He could not kill the one he loved.

Had loved. She was all ready dead.

__

Floating through space, her breath ringing in his ears. Her life hanging on by a sliver of hope. Floating through the stars to save her.

Love…

__

Facing against Ultimicia, the last time she had stood strong and beautiful. The last time he had really loved her.

HAD loved.

With a scream Squall lurched forward driving the blade into her heart. Red blood blossomed out across her chest quickly staining her clothes. 

"I love you" she whispered one of her hands coming up to clasp her rings. In a mimic of her gesture he reach up to the silver chain hanging on his neck. The two rings clink together inside his hand. 

Suddenly her image dissipated no blood to drip on the pure white marble. Squall turned back around to look at the guardian forces perched in the thrones. He threw the blade, it skittering across the marble to land at Gilgamesh' feet. 

"The deed is done" Squall said.

"Do you feel no remorse?" Siren asked looking down at him.

"She was all ready dead, I have mourned her for two years. No longer will I continue to morn her in my own death" Squall said staring at the blade lying on the floor.

"You passed" Gilgamesh said. Excitement rushed through Squall at the words. He would be a GF; he could go on helping the world. 

Then all he knew was pain as he dropped forward to the ground. 

Fur. He was covered in golden fur. 

Squall climbed out of the large bed he was lying on. The ground was much further down than normal. He moved across the room his footsteps heavy and hard. A huge mirror was mounted across the wall. 

As he gazed in it he saw a tauny monster glaring back at him. A lions face, with tall ears. Wings drooped from his back, colorless and huge.

He was Griever.

Squall closed his eyes tightly. He was the GF that would eventually work for Ultimacia, only to be killed by himself.

"It is a cruel fate the world chooses for us, is it not?" Shiva's voice came from behind him. He turned to look at her, his voice a deeper baritone now.

"Did you know this would happen?" he asked.

"No, I never would have allowed it" she whispered stepping closer to him. She was shorter then him now, her blue eyes staring up into his constant stormy gray ones.

"This changes everything" he whispered.

"You are still Squall inside" she whispered back placing a hand on his shoulder.

"There was one thing I learned in my lifetime. All you have is this moment. You and I standing here now, and tomorrow that may gone" he said.

"It is thousands of years before the rise of Ultimacia" Shiva whispered.

"I know, but I will not let this moment pass me by" he said leaning down to softly place his golden lips against her blue.


End file.
